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Launching a fashion website smack in the middle of December's frantic holiday shopping season is a bold, bold move, but there are a whole bunch of reasons why we're glad Belle & Clive—a brand new flash sale site brought to you by the Bluefly folks—didn't wait until after the new year:
1. The brands. Bluefly has been in the game longer than just about any e-tailer out there, so you should expect to see many of your favorite Bluefly designers, plus brands that don't usually "do" flash sales.
2. The return policy. No credit. Just cold, hard cash. (Or, you know, cold hard credit card refund.) Praise Jesus.
3. The add-to-cart time limit. Flash sale hoarders—and you know who you are—your time has come to an end. There's a 15-minute limit for checkout once you've added an item to your cart, which means no more being stuck in wait-list land while quick-trigger Sally gathers up all the size 6 Tibi dresses and IMs her friends to see who wants one.
4. The advance warning. Belle & Clive will be announcing sales up to two weeks in advance, so you'll have plenty of time to add to your Google calendar, set reminders on your iPhone, obsessively daydream about the YSL tote that will soon be yours, etc.
5. The free shipping. This is through the holidays only, but that's when you need it the most, right?
Belle & Clive launches today at 11:30 am ET.
•[Belle & Clive official site]
•Bluefly Launches Flash Sales Site [WWD]